The Penn State Nittany Lions were unable to beach Ole Miss to become the first program to win all New Year’s Six bowl games. The Rebels high-powered offense was too much for a depleted Penn State defense in the 2023 Peach Bowl. It was known coming into this one that the Ole Miss receivers would be tough to cover and that proved to be true. Tight end Caden Prieskorn put the Rebels’ offense on his back and ran away with this one. He made highlight-reel catches and looked every bit the NFL prospect in this game. The young make-shift Penn State secondary didn’t have an answer for the Ole Miss receivers. So, let’s see how it happened.
Ole Miss Offense Unstoppable in Win
Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart was hit hard and often to start the Peach Bowl. The Penn State defense looked every bit like its No. 1 ranking at the beginning of the game, but that didn’t hold long. Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss offense made key adjustments and picked apart a Nittany Lion defense that was without key players. Dart finished the day 25-for-40 with 379 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He looked confident and in control as he spread the ball to seven different pass catchers. Prieskorn led the group in receptions with 10 for 136 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, Tre Harris and Dayton Wade were all over the field. Harris led the wide receivers with seven receptions for 134 yards. Neither caught a touchdown pass, but both wreaked havoc against a young and relatively inexperienced Penn State secondary.
Not only was the passing game working for Ole Miss but the ability to throw opened up the rushing attack. Starting running back Quinshon Judkins finished the day with 34 carries for 106 yards. He may not have finished the day with a rushing touchdown, but he did record one through the air. The Ole Miss offense finished the day with over 500 yards of total offense.
However, it wasn’t all bad for the Nittany Lions. The young secondary did well to cover four of the best pass-catchers in college football. While not a young guy, Cam Miller was all over the field and showed flashes of the future for a Penn State defense that will need to reload in 2024. Further, freshman linebacker Tony Rojas played meaningful snaps, finishing with half of a tackle for loss. Sophomore safety Kevin Winston Jr. finished the Peach Bowl with one pass defended and a team-leading nine tackles. Many young players gained experience heading into the offseason.
Penn State Offense Sputters
The Nittany Lions offense was hot and cold all season long and the Peach Bowl wasn’t any different. The run game finally got going toward the end of the season and carried over into this one, but the passing game was pretty much nonexistent. Quarterback Drew Allar couldn’t find an open receiver all day. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that a wide receiver got a reception. The Ole Miss secondary was blanketing the Penn State receiving corps, making things difficult for Allar. The sophomore quarterback finished the Peach Bowl 19-for-39 with 295 passing yards.
The issue for the Nittany Lions, outside of the passing game, was the turnovers. Allar went all season protecting the football but lost it twice in this one. An ill-advised throw in the first half resulted in an interception and then a controversial fumble occurred in the second half. The Rebels finished the Peach Bowl with five tackles for loss, but only one sack.
The Penn State offensive line gave Allar time, but nobody was open. It even opened holes for the running backs to get going early. Even though Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen found success early, that wasn’t sustainable with the passing game taken away. Singleton finished the day with eight carries for 50 yards and four receptions for 86 yards. He also finished the day with one touchdown reception. Allen was the leading rusher for the Nittany Lions with 10 carries for 51 yards.
Yet again for Penn State, the tight ends were the consistency Allar needed. Theo Johnson played in the Peach Bowl despite declaring for the NFL Draft. He finished his Penn State career with two receptions and one touchdown. Fellow tight end Tyler Warren, who will return for the Nittany Lions next season, was the leader in receptions. Mr. Reliable finished the day with five receptions for 127 yards. He didn’t record a touchdown but put the Nittany Lions in the red zone with a 75-yard reception in the first half. It was the longest offensive play for Penn State this season.
Looking to Next Season for Both Squads
Ole Miss will carry this momentum into the 2024 season. Dart will be back next season, as well as several of his receiving weapons. In addition, this defense will stay majorly intact. The Rebels rank No. 1 in transfer class for 2024 and No. 13 for overall recruiting ranking. They have 12 transfers with immediate eligibility and 10 are on the defense. In addition, eight of those transfers are from within the SEC.
Penn State may not have won this one and didn’t look up to the standard that fans are used to, but not all is lost heading into Winter workouts and Spring practice. The Nittany Lions got a lot of young players valuable experience in the Peach Bowl. Both starting running backs are only juniors next season. As well as both the starting and backup quarterback. The offensive line should stay relatively intact next season and while much of the defense is off to the NFL Draft, many future starters played meaningful snaps this season. With the 12-team playoff coming into play next season both of these teams should be in a good position to take advantage.
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